Foods to Face Winter

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A few decades ago, we would’ve called them “grandma’s
tips.” Today, with the revaluation of plants and foods as
preventive agents, we call them resources. They are readily
available foods that strengthen our body and prepare it for the
cold weather and its risks.

In the 5
thcentury A.D., Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,”
said: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” This
wise Greek philosopher made an essential discovery: the good
functioning of the body is based on the type of foods we offer it
and their quality.

Therefore, nutrition is the natural way to
prevent diseases. Foods, and the specific nutrients they contain,
deeply influence the overall well-being of organs, systems and
tissues in the body.

The respiratory and immune systems are the most
affected by temperature changes and the hazards of viruses and
bacteria. The following list presents some foods that can help you
strengthen such systems.

Onions and leeks.These both have sulfur compounds
as part of their essential oils, which are responsible for their
distinctive strong flavor and odor. Among these substances, we find
thiosulfinates, which carry out an important antiasmatic and
antiinflamatory function. This is why they help reduce the typical
congestion related to the change of season.

Pumpkins.Foods have a determinant influence over
the general well-being of organs and tissues. The combination of
dry, cold air outside with the hot atmosphere inside the house or
workplace can lead to mucosal dryness. Pumpkins have two substances
that are essential for this time of the year: vitamin A and
mucilagus—a kind of fiber that has an emolient, hydrating action
that helps to prevent irritation of the throat and nose, and can
even be useful against gastritis.

Honey and lime.The bactericidal properties of
honey are well-known. Therefore, it is an indispensable food in
your pantry during the cold months of the year. A teaspoon of honey
with a few drops of lime and warm water can relieve a cough crisis.
As grandma would say: “it's just what the doctor ordered.”

Cabbage.This vegetable is an excellent source of
vitamin C, as well as citric acid, which enhances the beneficial
activity of this vitamin. It therefore strengthens the immune
system to resist colds.

Raw fruits.Most fruits are also great sources of
vitamin C. To take advantage of all their nutrients, it is better
to eat them whole and unpeeled, since plenty of their nutritive
potential is concentrated in their skin. If you decide to eat them
sliced or in chunks, don’t forget that cutting fruit causes the
loss of many vitamins, since contact with atmospheric oxygen
increases and so does oxidation. The best thing to do is cut the
fruit right before eating it.